Seventy-four NBA scouts and executives from 29 teams were credentialed Tuesday for the second annual OTE Pro Day in Atlanta. The upstart venture -- run by sports media company Overtime and backed in part by Amazon's Jeff Bezos and Kevin Durant -- officially kicks off its second season next week. In an attempt to solidify its foothold in an increasingly crowded space of alternative pathways to the NBA, OTE unveiled a new recruiting class of four- and five-star high school prospects, alongside two projected top-ten picks in Amen and Ausar Thompson and several highly regarded international players.
Scouts watched 30 players conduct individual skill-work, drills, four-on-four half-court competition and live scrimmaging for over three hours, met the coaching and player development staffs, founders and stakeholders in formal and informal sessions before and after to learn more about the venture, offered feedback and gathered background intel. For the most part, NBA representatives sounded pleased with the organization, flow and productivity of the half day spent in Atlanta, between college basketball practices across the southeast.
Thompson twins a cut above
Thompson Twins went OFF at Pro Day 🔥 pic.twitter.com/NDl0GoiDPp
— Overtime Elite (@OvertimeElite) October 26, 2022
The biggest draw for scouts was the presence of the projected top-10 picks with elite physical talent, lockdown defensive prowess and an intriguing combination of open-court scoring, dynamic playmaking, feel for the game and creativity.
Amen Thompson had a strong showing in drills and live action, showing the progress he's made as an outside shooter along with his highlight-reel finishing, live-ball passing and competitiveness defensively that gives him a high floor as a prospect as well as significant long-term upside. Thompson has steadily risen up draft boards this summer and fall thanks to outstanding showings against high-level competition at the TBT tournament, an overseas tour against ACB squads Manresa and Girona, Adriatic league teams Mega Basket and Studentski Centar, and an exhibition game in Phoenix against Australian NBL squad Adelaide 36ers -- who then went onto defeat the Phoenix Suns.
While G League Ignite's Scoot Henderson could very well solidify himself as the main consolation prize in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes, Thompson's super size (6-foot-7), explosiveness and incredible highlights he produces getting low to the ground off powerful hesitation moves and finishing with extraordinary body control and agility in the lane give him a chance to surpass Henderson ultimately if he continues along his current trajectory.